Key case



Aug. 18, 1936. E, ZAHN 2,051,432

KEY CASE Filed Feb. 11, 1935 TH E Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY CASE Application February 11, 1935, Serial No. 6,074

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in key cases of the type employing snap hooks for securing a series of keys in a flexible folder.

The-primary object of this invention is to provide a key case of the above mentioned character having a novel arrangement for removably holding the snap hooks in the flexible case or folder.

A-still further object of this invention is to provide a key case of the above mentioned character in which the means for releasably holding the snap hooks may be operated to release all of the-snap hooks simultaneously whereby the one desired may be removed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a key case of the above mentioned character having releasable snap hooks held in place by a locking rod which may be slid to a. turning positiorragainst the'action of the coil spring so that the locking rod will uncover enlarged portions of the snap hook receiving slots.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a key case of the above mentioned character having releasable snap hooks which may be cheaply and easily constructed and which contains only a small number of parts, reducing the possibility of inoperativeness.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the key case made in accordance with this invention illustrating the position in which the snap hook securing member is secured to the flexible key case;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan View of the releasable hook securing member;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the releasable hook carrying member showing the same detached from the flexible key case and illustrating the locking bar removed therefrom;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the elongated looking rod showing the same removed from the snap hook securing member and illustrating the detail construction thereof;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the snap hook securing member showing the enlarged portions of the slots as being covered by the lock rod for preventing the removal of the snap hooks from the snap hook securing member;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the snap hook securing member, showing the locking rod in its locked position;

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the snap hook securing member showing the locking rod in its unlocked position for the easy removal of the snap hook key fasteners; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section of another form of hook carry- 5 ing member.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustrating the invention and wherein like reference characters will be employed to designate like parts throughout the same, the reference 10 character Ii! will generally be employed to: designate a flexible cloth, leather or fabric case, having parallel folds ll forming flaps i2 and I3. Secured to the flap I2 is a male member M of a snap separable fastener adapted to be received in a female member l5 secured to the flap l3 whereby the flaps I2 and [3 may be held together to enclose the articles contained in the case.

Secured to one of the end portions of the case H] is a metallic plate l6 securely held in place by means of rivets ll and said plate i6 is bent longitudinaily as at l8 to extend laterally from the plate It as at IS. The plate is then bent as at 23 and extends parallel to the plate l6 as at 25 for a short distance so that the plate may be again bent as at 22 to extend downwardly as at 23 whereupon the downwardly extending portion 23 is bent rearwardly to form a portion 24 in direct alignment with the plate I6 and parallel to the portion 2!. The free end of the parallel portion 24 is bent inwardly as at 25 and terminates midway between the plate 24 and the parallel portion 2|.

The bent plate above described forms a housing which is slotted at intervals as at 29 and said slot extends entirely around the plate from the base portion Hi to the central portion of the downwardly extending portion 23 wherein the slot is enlarged as at 30. It is intended that each of the slots 29 receive one end of a snap hook 3| upon which the key may be placed by separating the hook at the points indicated by the reference character 32. The free end of the hook 3| is provided with a pair of beads 33 and 34 which are similar in construction and are spaced apart so that the beads 33 may operate Within the housing formed by the angular plate l5 while the bead 34 will be presented on the outside thereof with the snap hooks in the slots 29.

The slots 29 are so arranged that the key hook 3| may be moved along the slot from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position shown in Figure 7 wherein the hook 3| may be removed as shown in Figure '7 by being passed through the enlarged portions 30 of the slot.

In order to hold the key hooks locked within the housing formed by the annular plate I6, a rotary locking rod 35 is mounted for both turning and sliding movement in the housing and is held by the portions 2|, 2'3, 24 and 25 as clearly illustrated in Figures 6 and '7. The rod 35 is semi-circular in cross-section and is provided at one end with a rounded bearing 36 While the opposite end is reduced as at 31 and is provided with an arm portion 38 to which is formed integrally an angle portion 39.

One end of the housing formed by the angular plate iii is closed by an end Wall 40 so that the rounded portion 36 of the locking rod 35 will abut thereagainst and the opposite end of the casing formed by the angularly bent plate I6 is provided with an opening 42 for the protrusion of the end 31 of the locking rod 35 whereby the angle portion '39 will overlie the flat top portion 2! of the housing when the locking rod is in looked positionras shown in Figure 6 and prevent rotation of the rod.

When it is desired to remove one of the key hooks the thumb of the user is pressed against the angle portion 39 whereby the looking rod 35 may be slid longitudinally relative to the angular casing against the action of the coil spring 4! V to displace the member 39 relative to the fiat faces 2i and 23. After the locking rod 35 has been slidlongitudinally of the housing the same is then freely turned so that the flat portion of the locking rod 35 will face the enlarged portions '3t'of the slot 29 whereby the key hook,3l may be withdrawn as is clearly shown in Figure 7.

In the form of hook carrying member shown in Fig. 8, the plate 16a has a laterally bent portion |9a and a section 2Ia parallel to and in a plane onset from. the plane of the plate [6a. The upper end of the section 2| 0, is angularly bent as at 23a in the direction of the-plate lBa the parts 2m and 2311 being slotted, spaced fingers 24a of arcuate formation are carried by the rear edge of the part 230, respectively at opposite sides of the slots and constitute bearings for the 7 rod 35a.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A key case of the character described comprising a flexible holder, an elongated housing carried by the folder and being rectangular in cross-section and having a series of transverse parallel slots provided with enlarged openings at one end thereof, a rotatable and slidable looking bar mounted within the housing and extending longitudinally thereof, said locking bar having a flat face thereon to aline with the enlarged portions of the slots, hooks extending into theslots and retained therein by the locking bar, a

spring on one end of the locking bar within the tions the same to permit the removal or inser tion of the key holding hooks.

OTTO E. ZAHN. 

